Onslow County hurricane guide¶

Onslow County Emergency Management, a division of Onslow County Emergency Services, plans for hurricanes and runs the county Emergency Operations Center when a storm threatens. Along the coast, storm surge is often the greatest threat to life and property, and hurricanes here also bring flooding, high winds, coastal erosion, and tornadoes. Know your evacuation zone, sign up for Alert Onslow, and leave early when officials tell your area to go.

Checked on October 2, 2026

Every phone number and web address on this page was checked against official sources on that date. Details can change, especially during a storm. Always follow instructions from Onslow County Emergency Management. In a life threatening emergency, call 911.

Emergency and information numbers¶

Service	Number	Notes
Emergency	911	Police, fire, and ambulance. Call only when someone's life or property is in danger.
Emergency management office	910-347-4270	Office line. Not for emergencies. Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
County information line	910-989-3000	Office line. Not for emergencies.
E-911 non-emergency line	910-455-9119	For police matters that are not emergencies.
Sheriff's Office	910-455-3113	Office line. Not for emergencies.
Special needs registration	910-347-4270	Sheltering and Evacuation Registry, run by Emergency Management. Register before a storm if you will need help to evacuate or a special needs shelter.
Animal services	910-455-0182	Animal Control, option 1. Animal Shelter Services: 910-937-1164.
Water and sewer emergencies	910-455-0722	Onslow Water and Sewer Authority (ONWASA).
Road and traffic conditions (511)	511	Road closures and travel conditions. Operators answer during the day. From outside North Carolina, call 877-511-4662. Overnight and during emergencies, check DriveNC.gov.

Official alerts and information¶

Alert Onslow: Free alerts by text, email, or phone. Sign up before a storm. Website.
Onslow County Emergency Services on Facebook: The county shares shelter status and storm updates on its website and social media. Website.
Onslow County Emergency Management: The county's official hurricane information page. Website.

Evacuation zones¶

Onslow County is part of North Carolina's Know Your Zone program, which divides coastal areas into evacuation zones based on the risk of storm surge and flooding. Zone A is usually ordered to leave first, then Zone B, and so on, but not every zone leaves in every storm. County officials decide which zones must evacuate. If you can, go to a friend's home in a safe area first, then a hotel, and use a public shelter only as a last resort.

Look up your evacuation zone

Evacuation centers¶

Open only when announced

Evacuation centers open only when officials announce them, and not every center opens for every storm. Check the official list of open centers before you leave home. Bring your own bedding, food, water, and medicines.

Onslow County opens shelters case by case, under the direction of emergency management and social services officials, and the closest shelter to you may not be open. Shelter status is posted on the county website and shared on social media. All county shelters are in schools. Cots are limited, three meals a day are served, and you register when you arrive, so bring bedding, medicines, important papers, and supplies for your family. Jacksonville Commons Middle School is the only pet friendly shelter, and it is also the shelter for people who are medically fragile. You must stay at the shelter with your pet and bring its supplies. The schools below are the county's designated shelters and open only when announced.

Official list of open evacuation centers

These are locations the county has used or designated as evacuation centers. They are listed for planning only.

Name	Address	Serves
Clear View Elementary School	180 Clear View School Road, Jacksonville, NC 28540	General
Coastal Elementary School	370 Folkstone Road, Holly Ridge, NC 28445	General
Jacksonville Commons Middle School	315 Commons Drive South, Jacksonville, NC 28546	General, Pets allowed, Medical needs
Queens Creek Elementary School	159 Queens Creek Road, Swansboro, NC 28584	General

Help to evacuate¶

Sheltering and Evacuation Registry: A voluntary county registry for people who are homebound, have disabilities, or have no transportation. If you sign up for evacuation help, the county contacts you before an evacuation and directs you to a staging area or arranges a pickup; have your bags packed. If you sign up for a functional and medical needs shelter, staff review your application for eligibility. Contact the office each year before April 30 to stay active. Call for help filling out the form. It is not for people in long term care, residential treatment, or home health care. Phone: 910-347-4270. Website.
Pet friendly shelter: Jacksonville Commons Middle School is the only pet friendly shelter in Onslow County. You cannot drop off your pet and leave, and you must bring enough supplies for your pet for your whole stay. Website.
Onslow County Animal Services: Animal Control, option 1. Animal Shelter Services: 910-937-1164. 244 Georgetown Road, Jacksonville. Phone: 910-455-0182. Website.

Radio, TV and weather¶

Keep a battery or hand crank radio. When power and cell service fail, radio is often the only way to hear official updates.

Radio stations¶

Station	Frequency	Language	Notes
WMNX	97.3 FM	English	Emergency Alert System primary station (LP1)
WRMR	98.7 FM	English	Emergency Alert System primary station (LP2)

Emergency Alert System roles come from the North Carolina state EAS plan of October 2019, the newest one published.

NOAA Weather Radio¶

A weather radio turns itself on for warnings, even in the middle of the night. Set it to this frequency.

Station	Frequency	Transmitter
KEC84	162.400 MHz	New Bern
KXI95	162.425 MHz	Warsaw

TV stations¶

Station	Channel	Network	Language
WITN-TV (WITN)	7	NBC	English
WNCT-TV (WNCT)	9	CBS	English
WCTI-TV (WCTI ABC 12)	12	ABC	English
WUNK-TV (PBS North Carolina)	25	PBS	English
WUNM-TV (PBS North Carolina)	19	PBS	English

Official forecasts¶

National Weather Service Newport/Morehead City: Local forecasts, watches, and warnings. Phone: 252-223-5737. Website.
National Hurricane Center: Official hurricane forecasts, watches, and warnings. Website.

Power, water and debris¶

Duke Energy Progress: Report an outage online or by phone. Assume every downed line is live and stay far away. Phone: 800-419-6356. Website.
Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative: Report an outage online or by phone. Assume every downed line is live and stay far away. Phone: 800-682-2217. Website.
Four County Electric Membership Corporation: Report an outage online or by phone. Assume every downed line is live and stay far away. Phone: 888-368-7289. Website.
Jones-Onslow Electric Membership Corporation (JOEMC): Main office line. The cooperative does not publish a separate outage line. Phone: 910-353-1940. Website.
Onslow Water and Sewer Authority (ONWASA): Emergency phone for water and sewer problems. Phone: 910-455-0722. Website.

After the storm: help for displaced residents¶

If your home is damaged or you cannot go back, these organizations help with shelter, food, money, and paperwork. Many programs open only after a disaster declaration, so check their pages for current status.

Where to start¶

NC 211: The 211 helpline for all 100 North Carolina counties, run by United Way of North Carolina. Free and confidential, in most languages. Dial 211 at any hour. From outside North Carolina, call 888-892-1162. Phone: 211. Website.

Housing and shelter¶

FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers: After a federal declaration, these centers help you apply for aid in person. Use the locator to find the nearest one. Phone: 1-800-621-3362. Website.

Food¶

Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina: Regional food bank for 34 counties in central and eastern North Carolina. Find a pantry or mobile market by ZIP code on its site. Raleigh headquarters. The food bank has six branches. Phone: 919-875-0707. Website.

Money, work and insurance¶

DisasterAssistance.gov: Apply for FEMA aid after a federal declaration. Phone: 1-800-621-3362. Website.
SBA disaster loans: Low interest loans for homeowners, renters, and businesses after a declared disaster. Phone: 800-659-2955. Website.

Legal help¶

Legal Aid of North Carolina: Free civil legal help for low-income residents of all 100 counties, including problems after a disaster with housing, insurance, benefits, and contractors. Also written 1-866-219-LANC. Apply by phone, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday to Friday, or apply online. Phone: 1-866-219-5262. Website.

Emotional support¶

Trillium Health Resources: The public LME/MCO that manages mental health, substance use, and developmental disability services in 46 eastern and central counties. Behavioral Health Crisis Line, answered by licensed clinicians 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Member and Recipient Services: 1-877-685-2415. For a crisis at any hour, you can also call or text 988. Phone: 1-888-302-0738. Website.
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text, any time. Phone: 988.

Relief organizations¶

American Red Cross Cape Fear Chapter: The Red Cross chapter for 12 counties in southeastern North Carolina. It runs shelters and gives emergency help after disasters and home fires. Chapter office in Wilmington. For disaster help at any hour, call 1-800-733-2767. Phone: 910-762-2683. Website.

Cities and towns¶

Each city has its own services and some have their own alerts. The county's evacuation zones, evacuation centers, and emergency alerts cover everyone, in every city and in unincorporated areas.

Sources¶

Checked on October 2, 2026. If a number or address here is wrong, please tell us at Keith@KMyers.me.